It has been claimed by some, as
disproving the necessity of Jesus as
our Ransomer, and his blood (death)
as our ransom price, that the word
propitiation, used by the apostles,
merely means that Jesus was the
channel through which God exercised pardonthe mercy-seat or place of
mercyand that therefore the accepted
idea, that Jesus made satisfactionor appeasement for our sins is
erroneous, and not the proper meaning
to attach to the expression, "propitiation
for our sins."

In proof of the above, they call
attention to the fact that in Rom. 3:25,
the same word is rendered propitiation which in Heb. 9:5 is rendered
mercy seat.
Here they leave the
matter, evidently considering it proved.

These are the only instances in
which this Greek word (hilasmos) is
used in Scripture, and we know of no
translation which uses any other word
than propitiation as a translation of it.
As the word propitiation is but vaguely
understood, we here give you Webster's definition of its meaning"The act of appeasing wrath and
conciliating the favor of an offended
person""atonement or atoningsacrifice." Read the above texts in
the light of this definition, and you
will see that as John understood the
subject, there was need of a redeemer and a ransom.

Concerning Heb. 9:5, and Rom. 3:25,
we would say: The Greek
word here used is entirely different
from the above; it is hilasterion; nevertheless, it stands related to the
former.
Young translates it "placeof appeasement." In the Tabernacle
was the Ark, and the top of it, a solid
lid of gold, was the spot upon which
the High Priest sprinkled the blood of
the sin-offering, which God accepted
as the satisfaction for sins of the
under Priests and of Israel (typical
of the church and of the world
also).
This slab of gold forming the
cover of the ark, was therefore called
the "Mercy-seat" (or spot) because
there, by God's arrangement, mercy
was obtained.
In the Hebrew the
word is kapporeth, meaning"place
of (sin) covering"; and in the Greek, hilasterion, meaning"place of
appeasement."

With this explanation, we trust all
will be able to see the true meaning
of "propitiation," and "place of propitiation
or appeasement" (mercy-seat),
and not allow any one to cover
the meaning of these very forcible
expressions.

Rotherham's translation of Rom. 3:25 reads thus: "Whom God set
forth to be a propitiatory covering
through faith in his blood," etc.